Horseshoe



(No Model.)

A. J. WALKER. HORSBSHOE.

No. 585,992. Patented July 6, 1897.

NINE

WITNESSES nvmvrop a S/QMW UN1TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT JAMES WVALKER, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,992, dated July 6, 1897.

Application filed February 29, 1896. Serial No.581,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LALBERT J AMES WALKER,

of Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Horseshoe, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved horseshoe arranged With sufficient spring to readily yield atthe toe to permit expansion and contraction of the animals hoof, so as to prevent sores and allow full development of the animals gait.

The invention consists principally of a horseshoe having its toe provided with a transverse slot into which opens a longitudinal slit extending outwardly from the slot at or near the middle of the toe.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The shoe has its toe or crown portion partly separated by a transverse slit A and slits A A extend laterally in opposite directions from the inner end of the slit A separating the toe of the shoe into an unbroken inner bridge portion or piece A and an outer rear portion, which latter is separated by the slit A to permit the yielding action of the bridge portion. The slits A are shown nearer to the inner than to the outer edge of the shoe,

and this is preferred. Now it will be seen that by this arrangement the bridge-piece A permits the sides to give sufficiently in a lateral-direction to accommodate the sides to the expansion and contraction of the hoof as the animal steps on the ground or lifts his hoof.

The slit A is sufficiently wide to permit the outer portions of the heel to move toward or from each other, according to the expansion and contraction referred to, and at the same time the heel has sufficient bearing-surface on the under side of the hoof, almost the same as in an ordinary horseshoe. The sides of the shoe are provided with the usual apertures for the passage of the nails for fastening the shoe in place on the animals hoof.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A horseshoe having its toe or crown portion partly separated by a transverse slit extending from its outer toward its inner side, and having slits extending laterally from the inner end of said transverse slit in opposite directions, the said transverse and lateral slits separating the toe of the shoe into an unbroken inner yielding bridge portion and an outer wear portion separated to permit the yielding action of the bridge portion, all substantially as shown and described.

ALBERT JAMES WALKER. l/Vitnesses:

GEO. EMERY,

E. A. RISKER. 

